


The Traitor and the Coward

by UppityBitch



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Klaroline over the centuries, Original Caroline, Romance, au supernatural, badass warrior caroline, bonnie bosses around the originals, klaus gets a redemption arc - eventually, kol is an amusing little shit, major character death plus eventual resurrection, mikael is still a dick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:27:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29706807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UppityBitch/pseuds/UppityBitch
Summary: Original!Caroline has spent lifetimes running from her lover and his family. Despite the centuries of loneliness, she regrets nothing. Soon, she’ll bring an end to this madness. Or bring the madness full circle.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 47
Kudos: 62





	1. Only a Fool

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s note: I’m finally expanding Chapters 84 and 85 - The Traitor and the Coward from my Klaroline series, A Beautiful Symmetry. The new content begins in Chapter 4.
> 
> Warning: So.Much.Angst.

“For all evils there are two remedies — time and silence.”   
― Alexandre Dumas, _The Count of Monte Cristo_

* * *

A thousand years and she still remembered the smell of Esther’s blood. _The startling warmth of the witch’s heart against the cold of Caroline’s freshly turned flesh_. _The choking scream of the deceitful whore who was undeserving of such a swift death. Mikael’s angry bellow as he swore vengeance. And then, there was Klaus._

The betrayal carved into her lover’s face haunted her fitful dreams as well as her waking hours. He’d come upon them in the clearing, just as she’d plunged her hand into Esther’s chest, destroying her black heart. Anguish became rage as he lost all reason and flung her against a red cedar, his newfound strength breaking several branches that dripped sap upon her cheeks. To this day, the smell of tree sap made her retch. The ferocity of his attack was caused by his wolf. _The wolf that no longer would be lost to him thanks to her_.

Upon her rebirth, she’d raced away to the woods, confused and terrified as the sun scorched her skin. She longed for Klaus, but was trapped in the caves until nightfall. As she grew acquainted to the foreign sensations and urges, her supernatural hearing caught a most damning exchange between Esther and Mikael. Esther shamefully revealed that Klaus was not of Mikael’s lineage; she’d lain with one of the wolves from the forbidden village. Mikael was enraged, but the selfish witch plotted with him to hide her disgrace through the binding of Klaus’ wolf. He would never again know that fragile piece that would make him whole. _Caroline refused to let that come to pass — Klaus deserved his connection to nature, to his wolf_.

She didn’t regret taking Esther’s life; but she hated herself for not realizing that Klaus bore witness to her wrath. As he loomed over her, she couldn’t help but shrink away from the lover she’d entrusted with her heart. He was a mask of pain and fury. _A stranger’s face_. “Spiteful wench, you’ve spilled the blood of my kinsman, of the woman who bore me.”

She barely felt the press of his claws at her throat, too consumed by the madness in his black gaze. _If only she could tell him the truth_. But there was too much at stake — Mikael had made sure of that. She would never risk that which she loved. _Even if she must endure his hate_. Despite the power she felt in his body, her own monster rose up, refusing to cower before a threat. Her curved fangs emerged and she lashed out, her body responding to a primal call that caught them both by surprise as she tossed him aside. She fought her newfound instincts to latch onto his throat with fang and claw, knowing that she could never take his life. She was his. _But he would never be hers again_.

She flashed away, abandoning the only home she’d ever known, her heart forever broken by Klaus’ words: “Hell awaits you, Caroline. Upon my oath, I will send you there.”

Since that terrible day, she’d hardened her heart, knowing she couldn’t allow herself to care for another. _And she still had to save Klaus_. That fateful day had revealed more than Esther’s guilty secret. Mikael took his revenge on both Caroline and Klaus by having the witch bind his life to Klaus’. His vindictive words echoed through the ages, forcing her silence: “Speak nothing of what you’ve learned to Niklaus. The moment you confess Esther’s deeds, I will spill my blood to end Niklaus’ retched life.”

* * *

Caroline sighed, running her fingers through her curls as she glanced around her quiet cottage for the last time. It had been her safe haven for almost a year, and even if everything wasn’t coming to an end, she would’ve had to move on soon anyway. Running from Klaus and his siblings meant that she was never truly safe, and she didn’t dare to stay in the same place for longer than a year. It was a blessing and a curse, the way she’d lived — witnessed every sunrise and sunset in every part of the world — but always alone. Her immortal life had been filled with extraordinary beauty and wonder, but it was a hollow shell of what could’ve been. Mikael’s revenge had been twofold — punish her for killing Esther and take away Caroline, the only love Klaus had known. 

_She couldn’t help but hate Klaus a little for that_. As a starry-eyed maiden, she’d have sworn that his love was infinite. That he would never believe the worst of her and wouldn’t rest until he learned the truth. _But now she knew better_. His rage had swallowed them both.

Buckling the canvas satchel, she noted with pride how it was overflowing with the grimoire she’d unearthed there in the Faroe Islands, the final piece she’d needed to make everything right after all this time. For centuries, she’d been searching for a way to unbind Klaus’ life from Mikael’s, traveling to the hidden places of magic so powerful, it was neither light nor dark. Countless shamans, priestesses, and sorcerers had been unable to break the Original Witch’s spell, but Caroline refused to give up her quest. Eventually, bits and pieces of magical knowledge were scraped together until everything fell into place.

The bay window showcased the breathtaking waterfalls just footsteps from her cottage, and she felt a tightness in her chest as she recalled another waterfall, long ago.

_The air was crisp with the promise of harvest after the next moon. The roar of the falls behind her was a welcome distraction as she finished the day’s wash. She’d just finished piling the heavy, wet linens back into her large basket when the arrow rushed past her. Letting out an undignified yelp, she whipped her head around to see a deer collapse into a pile of leaves, the arrow buried deep in its neck. Disoriented, she stepped forward, her foot tangling with the handle of her basket and spilling her freshly cleaned linens on the muddy riverbank._

_“Are you unharmed, Caroline,” the young man’s voice called out, blood draining from his face as he seemed to take in how narrowly his arrow had missed Caroline’s head. “I didn’t realize anyone was near.”_

_Caroline could feel the blood rushing to her face as her temper flared. Narrowing her eyes, she took in the dirty blonde curls and dimpled cheeks and immediately recognized the boastful son of Mikael. Klaus and his pleasing form had turned many a pretty maiden’s head in their village, but she knew better than to fall for such a changeable heart. “Only the laziest of buffoons would hunt for prey at the nearest watering hole. A true warrior would pursue more challenging prey, Klaus.”_

_His gray eyes darkened, fists clenched in anger as he growled, “And maidens shouldn’t foolishly venture so far from the village unescorted. There are many dangerous predators that lurk in the woods.”_

_Caroline scoffed, removing her curved iron dagger from her leather boot and hurling it at Klaus’ head, the force of her throw burying the blade into the thick tree trunk just inches above his curls. “I am far from prey,” she told him proudly._

_“Only a fool would willingly parted with their only blade,” he said, his handsome face breaking into a knowing smirk._

_“That you would think that my only blade is a testament to your gullibility,” she retorted with an arched brow, scooping her muddied linens to rewash later when her temper had settled. With an indignant flip of her long blonde braid, she told him, “I’ll expect that deer hide as compensation for your carelessness, Klaus. And don’t you dare bring it to my threshold without properly scraping and curing it!”_

_After that day, their lively exchanges became more frequent, the teasing somehow turning to kisses and then feverish passion and finally a whispered commitment so tender it took her breath away. She still recalled the innocent trembling of his hands as he presented her with the bracelet, strung with wooden beads he’d painstakingly carved. With that simple gesture, she was his as much as he was hers._

Until he wasn’t. Angrily wiping away the tears that had formed when she became lost in her bittersweet memories, she locked up her cottage and drove to the small airstrip where the private plane was waiting.

The final battle was almost upon her. But would her plan be enough? 


	2. Coward’s Way Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: Thanks for reading! The new content begins in Chapter 4.

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words — wait and hope.”

― Alexandre Dumas, _The Count of Monte Cristo_

* * *

The quiet was her enemy. Caroline leaned her head against the window, the whisper of the jet’s engines spectacularly failing at drowning out her racing thoughts. She kept glancing at the coordinates her resources had sent, pinpointing the exact locations of Klaus and his siblings, with Mikael clearly lying in wait to ambush them. Centuries later and Mikael was the same sadistic bastard he’d been in their village. While Mikael had no interest in killing Klaus as it would end his own life, he clearly reveled in the fear he instilled.

Fortunately, she’d cultivated an extensive network of spies over the years, invaluable not only to her survival but also to covertly tip off Klaus and his siblings whenever Mikael was closing in. Ages ago, she’d had a powerful shaman place a protection spell on Klaus, but experience had taught her that nothing was foolproof. It was one of the reasons why she’d sought out and compelled some of the greatest warriors and generals to learn everything she could of war — from William the Conqueror to Shaka Zulu to Douglas MacArthur. That knowledge had kept her and Klaus and the rest of his siblings alive.

And it almost cost her everything.

* * *

_It_ _was the heat that woke her. Nearly 800 years as a vampire and her bed remained cold. As she sat up with a start, her lungs were filled with smoke, orange and red flames climbed the sides of the carved walnut, surrounding her. She dumbly sat there, fine linen sheets knotted in her hands as adrenaline kicked in at the figure in her doorway._

_Klaus had found her._

_Somehow, he was in her farmhouse in Kent, looking just as beautiful and terrible as she remembered. Nearly eight hundred years since she’d seen him face-to-face, and it was still a knife to the chest. His curls were shorter, and she allowed herself a moment of girlish fantasy where she imagined what it would be like to run her fingers through them — would it feel the same?_

_Of course not — nothing would ever be the same._

_His predatory strut toward her bed did nothing to dispel the way her heart sped up at having him near once more. The intensity of his glare burned more than the flames as he sneered, “I regret my arrow hit its mark that day. Had it drifted, I could’ve spared us this moment.”_

_A flame licked across her forearm, but she didn’t feel it — the pain in her heart was far worse. Klaus wanted her dead; she’d known it since the day she started running. But to hear that same vitriol all these centuries later, reaffirmed every insecurity, every doubt._

_Caroline leveled her piercing blue gaze to her lover, inwardly thankful that despite her fear and heartbreak, she’d managed to hold back her tears. He possessed every part of her — but she refused to give him her pain. “And I would change nothing,” she said simply, her voice a bit more broken than she would’ve liked._

_They stared at each other, framed in the fire as it raged across her bedroom, and she briefly considered taking the coward’s way out — remaining frozen in this wretched moment until either she was set free by Klaus’ vengeful hands or the flames. The stench of burning fabric filled the air, and she let out a small gasp as the bottom of her long nightgown began to smoke as it caught fire. Flames attacked the tall headboard, and suddenly she felt the searing heat across her chest as her skin boiled._

_With a pained cry, she leapt from the bed, a renewed sense of self-preservation coming over her. She would not be cut down in this manner. She was surprised to see that while Klaus had flashed toward her, his claws shredding her burned skin as he clutched her, the warring emotions on his face betrayed an uncertainty that was unexpected._

_Caroline hated how her flesh reacted to the press of him, desperate for his touch after all this time. Her stubbornness was her salvation though, and she reminded herself that he and his siblings had hunted her across the world for centuries. He set fire to her home. He would always view her as the enemy. Making up her mind, she ignored the pain in her heart and her burned flesh, and grappled with Klaus with renewed ferocity._

_Klaus responded in kind, the feral gold of his wolf rising in his gaze as he gripped her neck. She could feel his fingertips strategically align at her upper spinal cord, and fear flooded her thoughts as she realized he intended to break her neck. Probably so he could make her death last as long as he chose. Even without her network of spies, she was certain tales of his penchant for torture would’ve reached her._

_Decades earlier, she learned several hand-to-hand combat maneuvers from the Zulu, and it was immensely gratifying to knock Klaus on his ass before he could draw breath. Realizing the flames had all but consumed the upper story of the farmhouse, she flashed toward the window. Just before she jumped, he grabbed her arm, his fingertips catching her bracelet. It held the same beads he’d given her when they were human, and she felt indescribable panic as the leather snapped and the wooden beads scattered. It was all she had left of the innocent boy whose hands had trembled as he gave her the bracelet. And now another piece of her soul had been lost. She’d already given up so much of her soul — how much was even left?_

_She took advantage of the shock she saw on Klaus’ face and leapt out the window, his threat carrying over the sound of shattered glass. “I will find you.”_

_“Not until I want you to.”_

_Caroline fled England that night, plagued by thoughts of whether he’d allowed her to escape._

Once her plane landed, she met with her most trusted coven, a powerful group whom owed her a life debt as she saved their bloodline from the Inquisition and subsequent persecutions. The high priestess studied the ancient parchment of the grimoire intently, her green eyes alight with wonder as she said in a hushed tone, “After all this time, I can’t believe you found Esther’s grimoire. You’re playing with deep magic, you know?”

Caroline didn’t miss the warning in her voice. It was a well-worn argument, one that she’d had with most of the coven’s members over the centuries. “Yes, Bonnie. I know.”

Bonnie shot her a completely unimpressed look, displaying that sass which most of the Bennett line seemed to possess. “All this trouble for a Viking jackass.”

“It would seem so.”

Bonnie shook her head, tapping her nails on the grimoire’s thick cover as she ordered around her coven to make the final preparations. As Caroline waited for the ritual to be complete, she found herself thinking back to the day she’d first learned of Esther’s grimoire that eventually would bring an end to this madness.

_It had been foolish to seek out witches known to be allies of Kol. Whispers from her spies had informed her of the youngest Original’s fondness for witches and their magic, but thus far, Caroline had been able to steer clear of him during her quest to break Esther’s spell. But now she had to risk their paths crossing; these witches were too well-informed about Esther’s grimoire to miss the opportunity to discover what they knew. It had been a fruitful exchange, and she now had enough clues to start her search in earnest._

_Unfortunately, Kol appeared inside the church in San Francisco before she could make her escape. “You met them in a church? How quaint,” he mocked, taking a dangerous step_

_toward her._

_“It made them more comfortable. I’m in no position to judge another’s faith.”_

_He casually unbuttoned his tailored morning coat, eyebrow wriggling slightly as he noticed her rapt attention. He shrugged it off, lightly tossing it on one of the pews off to the side. “I’m curious to know more about this faith of yours, pet. Does it provide you with comfort whilst running from us?” Black veins crawled along his boyish face as he spitefully told her, “You’re certainly no predator, just a meek little rabbit.”_

_With a practiced eye, she noted the muscles in his trim body flex, alerting her to his attack. Fighting in a corset wasn’t ideal, but she’d had the foresight to wear one with flexible rope inserts to her meeting with the witches — it had been her experience that these types of meetings could become contentious. When her fist glanced off of his cheekbone, his brown eyes widened in surprise._

_His answering crouched form spoke of time spent on the Indian subcontinent learning wrestling, but from his sloppy lines, she was confident he wasn’t well-versed in pehlwani. Firmly planting the pointed toes of her boots, she delivered a powerful uppercut and elbow strike combination she’d learned from observing battles in Southeast Asia. She delighted in watching Kol fall to the pine floor, sputtering indignantly._

_“What’s this then? You’ve always run from us rather than fight.” He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, body relaxing somewhat despite remaining on his back. “We thought you weak. But there’s something else at work here.”_

_Caroline huffed impatiently, keeping her knees bent in case Klaus’ brother attempted to lure her into a false sense of security. “A desire to avoid battle isn’t a sign of weakness.”_

_“You’re capable of terrible deeds, pet, just like the rest of us. Delicious tales have reached our ears about the viciousness of your monster.” Kol slowly rose to his feet, his face suddenly serious as though working through a complex problem. “When Klaus found you a century ago, you sought out the spy who’d betrayed you. You beheaded the traitorous bloke slowly, taking tiny slivers at a time.”_

_Her smile was bitter. “But first, I peeled his skin into long strips and forced him to eat them. What’s your point, Kol?”_

_“That you’re a clever, formidable creature, Caroline. You always have been. If you don’t wish us harm, then what are you after? You’ve spent all these centuries running, but you could’ve hidden yourself away and it’s doubtful we’d have found you for ages, if ever.” His eyes widened as he suddenly said, “You’re searching for something, are you? What magic are you trying to obtain, pet?”_

_Startled by the mischievous brother’s perceptiveness, Caroline was struck speechless. She felt the first stirrings of fear that someone might discover her secrets. Esther’s secrets. If Mikael believed that she’d revealed Esther’s crimes against Klaus, he’d kill himself just to ensure Klaus’ death. At a loss for what to do, she flashed away before Kol could ask more questions she refused to answer._

_At first, she’d lived in terror that Kol would tell Klaus of his suspicions, but she soon learned from her spies that Klaus had daggered his brother in a fit of rage for letting her escape._

“The ritual is complete.”

Caroline pulled herself from the memory, realizing that Bonnie had spoken. “It’s done?”

“Yes,” Bonnie asked briskly, a worried furrow appearing on her forehead. “But just say the word, and I’ll gladly undo that shit.”

Embracing her warmly, she said, “Thank you for your loyalty, your strength and your spirit over the years. Live well, Bonnie.”


	3. No More Running

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: Thanks for reading! The new content begins in Chapter 4.
> 
> Warning: Again with the angst. Also, some sexy times. Not necessarily in that order.

“Doubt truth to be a liar;  
But never doubt I love.”   
― William Shakespeare, _Hamlet_

* * *

Planning only took you so far. Caroline’s preference had been to confront Mikael alone, but it was not meant to be. He’d cornered Klaus and his siblings in Mystic Falls, flaunting his sadistic need to torment his children. _Fitting that it would end where it began_. She arrived just as Mikael had set fire to the beautifully restored mansion that she knew Klaus had built for his siblings. _What is it with this family and fire?_

“Mikael!” Her war cry was filled with the centuries of pent-up rage and fear. The slight twitch of his shoulders was the only sign that he’d been surprised by her appearance. It pleased her to no end to realize she’d managed to unsettle the mighty hunter.

“Ah, it’s Niklaus’ little whore. Finally ready to face me after all these years of running like a coward?”

“No more running,” Caroline swore, struggling to keep her face impassive. _Give nothing away_. She was no stranger to the Mikaelson patriarch’s cruel smile, but it still made her shudder like the naive mortal she once was.

“It’s utterly confounding how such a shrewish woman could also be a whore,” he commented, a wicked gleam in his eye as he added, “I once caught you rutting on top of Niklaus in the apple orchard. Or, was it near the strawberry patch?” He called out, “Niklaus, do you happen to recall which it was?”

Caroline felt her face redden, cursing herself for being so distracted by Mikael’s viciousness that she failed to notice Klaus and his siblings had flashed from the house and looked on with both disdain and confusion at her presence.

It was Klaus’ face she studied the longest, searching for a sign that Mikael’s words had affected him just as deeply.

_Of course she remembered that day. It was in the apple orchard where they used to sneak away for precious stolen moments. His kisses always left her in a marvelous fever, but she felt something new in his attentions today. A tension, a nervousness that made her heart pound. He pulled away just enough to stare into her eyes, his breath ragged as he smoothed back the wild curls that had torn free from her braid._

_“There’s a light that surrounds you, golden one. I wish to bask in it always. Marry me, my Caroline?”_

_Her heart was too full, her smile too wide, and she didn’t care if Ymir himself attempted to drag her away_ _— she easily could best the frost giant of her people’s legends on the strength of her love. “Yes,” she whispered, tenderly cupping his face, “I am yours as you are mine, Klaus.” She watched in awe as he tied upon her wrist a bracelet strung with beads that only his practiced hand could have carved so artfully._

_Their lips joined, a joyous harmony that grew in passion as her hands roamed, exploring the smooth muscle hidden beneath his rough tunic. She bent to kiss down his chest, boldly taking his nipple in her mouth as he let out a low moan._

_Spurred on by her actions, Klaus grabbed at her hips, the blazing heat of his touch reaching her even through the layers of overdress and shift. She spread her legs wide as she straddled him, the brush of his hard length making them both gasp and writhe. His fingers danced to her core with only the slightest hesitation._

_“Your flesh speaks to mine, my love.”_

_She grew wild from his ministrations, finally understanding the ache she always felt when she was with him. The illicit feel of his fingers was maddening, and he swallowed her groan of frustration with his lips. “Must you tease me so? You feel my need just as I feel yours.”_

_His gray eyes widened at her brashness, quickly fumbling with his trousers as she guided him inside her eager warmth. The press of him awakened something primal within her, and she began to rut her hips in time to his with a ferocity that left them both flushed and gasping for air._

_“My love is yours, Klaus.”_

_“And mine is yours, my lady. Everything I am has been bettered by your beautiful light,” Klaus told her tenderly._

_Mikael’s cruel voice shattered the fragile peace of the orchard. “That you call your worthless whore a lady is an affront to our family and a testament to your foolishness.”_

Caroline wrenched herself out of the memory in disgust, hating how Mikael had tainted that beautiful day. From the conflicted expression on Klaus’ face, it seemed as though he’d just relived the same bittersweet memory.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at her, suspicion heavy in his tone as he asked, “Why are you here?”

“To set things right.”

Mikael scoffed, telling his children, “Or, perhaps the coward is here to watch me finally end your miserable existence.” 

“Caroline has no interest in killing us,” Kol spoke up unexpectedly, while Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah stared at him in surprise.

Klaus shook his head, his familiar, anger-filled voice carrying the tiniest note of uncertainty as he protested, “Caroline slaughtered our mother and then showed her cowardice by running from us for centuries, hell-bent on finding a spell to destroy our family.”

“She’s not using magic against us,” Kol revealed, “she’s using it _for_ us.” His boyish face was unexpectedly serious and he seemed to be thinking very hard. “That day, you stopped our mother from doing magic. Dark magic.”

“What was Esther trying to do,” Klaus asked her, waving off the protests of Rebekah and Elijah.

She was surprised by the urgency she heard in her lover’s voice. He must have seen the flicker of fear on Mikael’s face along with her quiet resolve. As he took a step toward her, she was startled to see the beads from her bracelet were strung from a leather cord around his neck. _The bracelet she thought he’d destroyed with his claws when he came to kill her two centuries ago_.

She couldn’t get distracted by the what ifs and whys of his actions. “After we turned, I found Esther plotting with Mikael to bind your wolf.” She hated the slight tremor in her voice as she told Klaus, “I couldn’t bear the thought of you being forced to be less than what you are. You couldn’t lose your connection to your heritage, to your _true_ father.” She glared at Mikael for the last bit, daring him to call her a liar.

The shocked gasps from Klaus and his siblings were overshadowed by Mikael’s angry snarl. “You supposedly care so much for Niklaus the bastard, and yet you foolishly jeopardize his life.”

His ominous threat still gave her pause, despite her plan. Confused, Klaus shook his head, asking hoarsely, “But then why did you run? Why not tell us of Esther’s cruel plan?”

Before the furious patriarch could answer, Caroline spat, “Because Esther bound Klaus’ life to Mikael’s. He vowed to take his own life in order to kill Klaus if I ever spoke of Esther’s misdeeds. It was the perfect punishment for killing that deceitful bitch — he took me away from you and destroyed your love for me.”

The emotions that raged across her lover’s handsome face were almost too rapid to catalogue. Fury, disbelief, indescribable pain, and crippling regret — they tore at her heart as she watched them overtake him. When he finally was able to look at her once more, she briefly caught a glimpse of the young man whose hands had trembled so innocently when he gave her the bracelet. “No,” he told her brokenly, “not destroyed. _Never_ destroyed.”

Time stopped for them both as they stood before one another in the shadows of the enormous fire that engulfed the mansion behind them. _After all this time, did he mean...could he still love her?_

“There are no words to take back my wrongs.”

Heart pounding, she readily agreed, “No, there aren’t.” She swallowed back the overwhelming urge to burst into tears. “But I’m not here for apologies.”

Klaus ducked his head, eyes glassy when he looked up again. “Have you found a way to unbind my life from Mikael’s?”

“No.”

At Mikael’s triumphant smile, Caroline added confidently, “But I finally discovered how to _shift_ the binding. Esther’s spell requires a life to be bound to Mikael’s. So, I chose mine.”

The absolute horror on Mikael’s face was a sight she knew she’d treasure for eternity on the other side. She tried not to look too deeply into the anguish she saw within Klaus. _In another time, and another place, perhaps they could’ve found their way back to each other_.

She quickly removed the concealed white oak stake, plunging it into her heart without hesitation. She welcomed the punishing fire and ice that shattered her soul. _Because she knew it meant that Klaus would be safe_.

* * *

A raging red haze of blood and anger and grief dogged Bonnie’s steps as she made her way to the useless, broken Original who’d collapsed inside a mostly destroyed bar. Klaus had rampaged through Mystic Falls, decimating its population and nearly leveling the town, driving away his shell-shocked siblings as he sunk into madness and despair.

He didn’t bother lifting his head from the blood-soaked floor when she pointedly kicked several empty liquor bottle out of her way. From the shredded, muddy state of his clothes, it appeared that he’d at least partially changed into his wolf during his frenzied delirium.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, not bothering to hide her disgust and anger at the creature before her. “I’m here for Caroline.”

Klaus rolled over on his back, his face an ugly mask of sorrow. Both hands tore at disheveled, bloody curls as his deranged laughter choked in his throat. “Caroline is dead.”

“Yes, she is. She sacrificed a millennium for you. And it’s about time you start doing some sacrificing of your own, you Viking jackass.” Bonnie slammed Esther’s heavy grimoire onto a gore-streaked table. “Now, let’s get her back.”


	4. Banishing His Love

“Conscience doth make cowards of us all.”   
― William Shakespeare, _Hamlet_

* * *

His face felt like it was smashed against sandpaper. With a painful groan, Klaus shifted slightly, blinking as he realized he’d been passed out in someone’s bathroom. _Carpeted bathroom_. Humans with their rubbish taste. He didn’t need hybrid senses to smell the mildew. With a grunt, he slowly sat up, casting about for memories of how he ended up there.

_The Bennett witch_. She’d sought him out because of — _no_. _No_. NONONONONONONO.

Through his gore-soaked, drunken stupor, he’d managed to flash away to this hovel before she could hurt him with things he wasn’t ready to hear. Somehow, he’d been coherent enough to compel whoever dwelled inside to let him in.

Bollocks. The toilet seat was covered in some sort of fuzzy tea cozy — that alone should’ve been enough to earn a messy reprimand — ahh. _There_. Klaus shrugged disinterestedly, stumbling over a pair of legs that likely used to be connected to the man’s shredded flannel-covered torso down the hall.

“Are you done with your pity party?”

The voice was as unwelcome as it was grating. Klaus snarled, “Surely you have better survival instincts than this, witch. What do you want?!”

Bonnie surveyed the blood-splattered walls, thoroughly unimpressed as she replied, “I want you to pull your head out of your ass and stop running away like a little bitch.”

He wondered if she’d learned that impertinence from Caroline. Caroline, sweet Caroline. DEADDEADDEAD while Bonnie foolishly prattled on about resurrection. Caroline was dead and it was his bloody fault. He’d been a miserable bastard his whole fucking life except for the brief moments he shared with her in the village. It was mere minutes compared to the stretch of endless time he’d endured without her. _The best minutes of his useless existence_. “There’s nothing to bring back, witch.” The wind had been merciless, scattering the ashes and banishing his love. Klaus squeezed his eyes shut as the painful memory surfaced.

_Caroline was bathed in the firelight of the mansion in flames, her blue eyes a fierce warrior queen’s gaze as she refused to cower at Mikael’s cruel taunts. She’d been so brave._

_And terrified — it was in the rigid way she held her body, and the way she bit her lip. Even their centuries apart couldn’t change how he knew her every emotion. She’d been so grimly determined, triumphantly revealing her clever plan. And he’d been so proud in that moment because his woman was bloody brilliant. However, an instant later, he realized too late what it would mean. He lost Caroline just as he found her._

_He knew the smell of his lover’s flesh as she burned._

“There’s always a way,” Bonnie insisted, green eyes burning bright as she swore, “And I know where to start.”

* * *

“You should have mentioned your need for a magic stick, darling. I’d have been more than happy to loan you mine,” Kol said with a comical waggle of his eyebrows.

Despite his melancholy, Klaus had to tuck back a grin at his overeager brother’s fumbling attempts to woo the Bennett witch. Bonnie paid him no mind, ordering about his siblings while pointing the rune-engraved branch at key points in the circle where they should stand. “Are you sure this marks the boundary of your old village? The place where —”

“Bloody hell, yes! You think I could forget the location where Caroline stopped Esther from cursing me? The moment where I...” Klaus trailed off bitterly, unable to finish that thought. _The moment where he betrayed his love_. 

Elijah’s voice cracked like a whip as he scolded, “Enough, Niklaus! Bonnie has graciously taken on this Herculean task. Do not trample on her good will.” He gestured toward the piles of hemlock burning in the four separate fires and asked Bonnie, “Are you quite sure it’s safe for you to breathe these poisonous fumes?”

“It helps activate the mandrake and opium ointment I rubbed on earlier,” Bonnie explained, her voice starting to slur.

“And you singed off my arm hair when I selflessly offered to provide you with a thorough rubdown. Quite crucial you know, for connecting to the other side,” Kol whined, joining Rebekah in tossing bits of black bread into the fires.

_Children_. He was surrounded by idiot children, Klaus internally swore, clenching his fists in anger as he glared down at the flames. Soon the hallucinogens in the traditional witch’s sabbath ‘flying ointment’ would take root in Bonnie, allowing her to perform a proper séance and find Caroline’s spirit. If his dimwitted brother broke the witch’s concentration and cocked this up, he would tear out organs until he was naught but flapping skin and brittle bone.

Something of his hybrid gold must’ve flared in his dangerous gaze, because Rebekah hissed a threat at her brother, causing him to finally quiet down. Of his siblings, she’d been the one who seemed the most stricken by the revelation of all Caroline had done for them over the centuries. While his sister never quite warmed to Caroline, she’d always nursed a quiet respect. _Especially after the raid._

_For more than a decade, his people had thrived in the village, living peacefully within the borders of their land. However, the skraelings, or ‘wretched people’ in the mother tongue, had become outcasts to their own kind and chose to roam the lands, laying claim to all they could conquer. They’d sent scouts ahead, and wisely waited to strike until the able-bodied were felling trees in the valley._

_Later, Klaus was told that it was Caroline who blew the horn to warn those left behind, giving them just enough time to flee to the hidden caves. However, Rebekah had been caught, her wrists bound as one of the men tried to drag her to the forest’s edge. His fearless Caroline quickly scaled the meetinghouse, flinging herself on top of the beastly assailant, injuring him just enough for Rebekah to kick and thrash at his soft belly and bowels until he faded away._

They never told him who put blade to flesh, but deep down, Klaus always knew.

_Caroline had gifted Rebekah her life_.

“It’s time,” Bonnie’s jagged voice broke Klaus from his bittersweet memories, and he quickly joined his siblings as they placed their palms over the fires, allowing Bonnie to draw from their energy as she cast the ritual circle.

“I call the spirits,

Come to me.

Fire burning flesh,

For all to see.

Pierce the veil,

Reach those who roam.

Show us the way

To call a lost spirit home.”

A harsh gasp erupted from the witch as her eyes bled black, body starting to convulse as the conjuring took hold. A powerful wind rose, blowing dead leaves in rings around their gathering. Then, Bonnie’s slurred speech became...familiar. _Transcendent_.

“Klaus?” Caroline’s beautiful voice poured out of the vessel, a golden, glorious siren call that nourished Klaus’ soul.

He instinctively touched the wooden beads he wore — oddly seeking comfort despite Caroline’s presence. “Caroline, I’m here.” Exchanging a determined glance with his siblings, he vowed, “We’re all here, and upon my oath, I swear we will bring you back.”

The wind became a brutal, unforgiving force that tore at their skin. A hollow chuckle escaped Bonnie, and Caroline’s voice turned bitter as she replied, “The arrogance you possess is astounding, Niklaus. You have forsaken me for centuries, a grotesque mockery of all that ever was between us.”

Hot, shameful tears pricked Klaus’ eyes as Caroline’s venomous words settled in his heart. He’d endlessly betrayed his love — it was madness to believe she’d desire anything other than his demise. Klaus’ words still haunted him from that night long ago when he tried to burn Caroline in her sleep.

_“Hell awaits you, Caroline. Upon my oath, I will send you there.”_

He loathed the looks of pity his siblings gave him, painful reminders of their comfort after he bore the worst of Mikael’s fury. In the end, Klaus had become Mikael, and he could think of no greater curse. Mikael always said —. _Wait_. Mikael called him _Niklaus_. Caroline only ever called him _Klaus_.

_They had raised Mikael’s spirit, not Caroline’s._


End file.
